Seychelles
Constitution of the Republic of Seychelles
National Assembly of Seychelles Standing Orders
Statutory Instrument 87 of 2009
- Not commenced
- [This is the version of this document at 1 June 2020.]
Part I – General
1. Citation
These Orders may be cited as the National Assembly Standing Orders.2. Procedure in cases not provided for in these Orders
In case of any doubt and for any question of procedure not provided for in these Orders, the Speaker shall decide the point of order or practice, having regard to the Constitution, the practice of the Assembly, and the practices of other Commonwealth Parliaments, in so far as they may be applicable to the National Assembly of Seychelles.3. Interpretation
In these Orders—"Assembly" means the National Assembly referred to in the Constitution;"Chairperson" means the person presiding over a Committee of the Assembly,"Clerk" means the Clerk to the Assembly;"Constitution" means the Constitution of the Republic of Seychelles;"Leader of Government Business" means the Member so designated, in terms of section 3A (3) of the National Assembly Members' Emoluments Act, by the President;“Leader of the Opposition” means the Member referred to in Article 84 of the Constitution;"Member of public" means any person other than the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker, a Member, or an Officer of the Assembly;"Meeting" means a period during which one or more sittings take place, commencing when the Assembly first sits after being summoned for the first time or after an adjournment of more than a month, and ending when the Assembly is adjourned for more than a month, or upon a motion in terms of Order 17, or at the conclusion of a session;"Member" means Member of the Assembly;"Minister" means a Member of the Cabinet for the time being responsible for the matter in question, and in the case of a matter falling within the portfolio responsibility of the President or that of a Minister who for any reason, is unable to attend the Assembly, means the President or such other Minister as the President may nominate for the purpose,"officer" means the Clerk or any other officer or person acting within the precincts of the Assembly under the orders of the Speaker and includes a Police Officer on duty within the precincts of the Assembly;"precincts of the Assembly" means the Chamber in which the Assembly or a Committee thereof sits for the transaction of business, together with the offices, rooms, lobbies, galleries, courtyard, gardens and other places provided for the use of accommodation of Members or officers and any passage connecting such places, and any other places immediately contiguous thereto as may be from time to time be designated by the Speaker;"Sitting" means a period during which the Assembly is sitting continuously without adjournment and includes any period during which the Assembly is in committee;"Session" means the period of time as defined by Article 106 (1) of the Constitution;"The Speaker and the Deputy Speaker" means the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly in terms of the Constitution;Part II – Presiding officer, members and Clerk of the Assembly
4. Election of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker
5. Office of Speaker and Deputy Speaker becoming vacant
The office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker shall become vacant—6. Officer presiding
The Speaker or in the absence of the Speaker the Deputy Speaker or, in their absence a Member, not being the Leader of Government Business or the Leader of the Opposition, elected by the National Assembly in the manner prescribed by paragraph (2) of the Standing Order 4, shall preside over the deliberations of the Assembly and he or she shall exercise the same authority as the Speaker:Provided that the words "Speaker" in the motion prescribed by subparagraph (a) of paragraph (2) of Standing Order 4 shall be replaced by the words "Speaker for today’s sitting only."7. Chairperson of Committees of the whole Assembly
The Speaker or, in the absence of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker or in their absence, a Member, not being the Leader of Government Business or the Leader of the Opposition, elected as in Standing Order 4 shall act as Chairperson of the Committee of the whole Assembly:Provided that the word "Speaker" in the motion prescribed by subparagraph (a) of paragraph 2 of Standing Order 4 shall be replaced by the word "Chairperson".8. Authority of presiding officers during proceedings
9. Leave of absence
10. Quorum
11. Language
The proceedings and debates of the Assembly will be in Creole, but a Minister or a Member may address the Assembly in English or French.12. Duties of the Clerk of the Assembly
13. Procedure for the removal of Speaker or Deputy Speaker
14. Procedure for vote of censure against the Vice-President and Ministers
Part III – Sessions, meetings and sittings
15. Summoning of sessions
16. Commencement of meetings
A meeting of the Assembly, other than the first meeting of a session shall, subject to the Constitution, begin on such date as the Speaker may appoint.17. Conclusion of meetings
18. Sittings
19. Times of sittings
Part IV – Motions for the adjournment of the Assembly
20. Adjournment of the Assembly
21. Adjournment on specific and important matters
Part V – Motions for adjournment of debates
22. Adjournment of debate or proceedings in Committee
23. Closure of debate
Part VI – Order of business
24. Order of business
Part VII – Oath and communications
25. National Anthem
A sitting of the National Assembly shall begin with the National Anthem.26. Oath of Allegiance
The Oath of Allegiance shall be administered by the Clerk to Members in prescribed form and no Member shall sit, speak or vote until the Member has taken the Oath of allegiance.27. Message from the President
Part VIII – Papers
28. Presentation of papers
29. Debates on papers
Part IX – Questions to ministeers and Members
30. Scope of questions
31. Questions with and without notice
32. Content of questions
33. Manner of asking and answering questions
Part X – Statements, personal explanations and privilege
34. Statements by Ministers
A Minister may make a statement to the Assembly on behalf of the Government on any matter for which the Government is responsible and the statements may not be debated but, at the discretion of the Speaker, questions may be asked by Members for the purpose of elucidating any matter of fact with which the statement deals.35. Personal explanations by Members
36. Matter of privilege
Part XI – Motions and amendments to motions
37. Contents of motions
38. Notice of motions
39. Manner of debating motions
40. Amendments to motions
41. Manner of debating amendments to motions
42. Method of dealing with amendments
43. Amendments to amendments
44. Withdrawal of motions and amendments
Part XII – Enforcement of debate
45. Point of Order
46. Decision of Speaker final
47. Irrelevance, tedious repetition and gross disorderly conduct
48. Naming and suspension of Members
49. Refusal to obey directions of the Speaker
50. Members suspended to withdraw from the precincts
A Member who is ordered to withdraw from the Assembly under Order 47, or who is suspended from the service of the Assembly under Order 48, shall forthwith withdraw from the precincts during the period of the suspension.51. Grave disorder in the Assembly or Committee of the whole assembly
Part XIII – Rules of debate
52. Time and manner of speaking
53. Behaviour of Members in the Assembly
54. Content of speeches
55. Anticipation
56. Interruptions
Part XIV – Voting
57. Collection of votes
58. Divisions
59. Voting by Members
60. Equality of votes
The person presiding at a meeting of the National Assembly shall not vote on any question to be decided by the Assembly but, in the event of an equality of votes on any question the person shall have a casting vote.Part XV – Legislation
61. Presentation and publication of Bills
62. Procedures on Member's Bill
63. First reading
64. Second reading
65. Committal of Bills
When a Bill has been read a second time it shall stand committed to a Committee of the whole Assembly.66. Functions and powers of Bills Committee
67. Amendments of Bills
68. Procedures in Committee of the whole Assembly
69. Report of Bill from Committee
As soon as the Committee has completed consideration of the Bill committed to it, the Assembly shall resume and the Chairperson of the Committee shall report it to the Assembly.70. Recommittal of Bills
71. Third reading
72. Withdrawal of Bill
The Leader of Government Business or Member in charge of a Bill may, at the beginning of the proceedings on a Bill at a Sitting, move that the Bill be withdrawn.Part XVI – Financial procedure
73. Financial restriction on Bills, motions and amendments
Except on the recommendation of the President signified by a Minister, neither the Assembly nor a committee shall—74. Presentations of the Appropriation Bill and the estimates
75. Second reading of Appropriation Bill
76. Consideration of Appropriation Bill
77. No debate on third reading
78. Supplementary Appropriation Bill
A Supplementary Appropriation Bill, presented during the financial year to which it relates, shall be dealt with in accordance with Order 74 to 77:Provided that debate on the second reading shall be confined to the policies of the services, and in the Committee to the sub-heads and items, for which the supplementary appropriation is to be made.Part XVII – Committees of the whole Assembly
79. Resolution of the Assembly to a Committee
80. Powers of a Committee
81. Procedure in Committee
The Constitution and, save as it is otherwise specifically provided in these Orders, these Orders shall apply in Committee as they apply in the Assembly.82. Report from the Committee
83. Select Committees on Bills
84. Select Committees to consider matters other than Bills
Select Committees may be appointed by the Assembly in accordance with the rules of procedure for the considering of matters other than Bills.Part XVIII – Standing Sessional Committees
85. Standing Orders Committee
86. Finance and Public Accounts Committee
Part XIX – Members' financial interests
87. Members financial interests
Part XX – Admission of Press and Public
88. Admission of Press
89. Admission of the Public
Members of the Public may be present in the Assembly Chamber in the places set apart for them whilst the Assembly or a Committee of the whole Assembly sits.90. Power to remove members of the Public
Any officer of the Assembly may remove or cause to be removed any member of the Public from any part of the Assembly appropriated to the Members only, and also any member of the Public who, having been admitted into any other part of the Assembly while the Assembly or any Committee of the whole Assembly is sitting, smokes, uses a camera, mobile phone, a tape recorder or any apparatus or is in possession of any firearm or offensive weapon:Part XXI – Miscellaneous
91. Suspension of Standing Orders
92. Amendment of the Standing Orders
93. Employment of Members in professional capacity
A Member of the Assembly shall not appear before the Assembly or any Committee thereof as advocate or counsel for any party, or in any capacity for which he is to receive a fee or reward.94. Institution of Proceedings under Act No. 15 of 1975
95. General Authority of the Speaker
96. Revocation of S.I. No. 49 of 1994
The National Assembly Standing Orders, 1994 are hereby revoked.History of this document
01 June 2020 this version
Consolidation